{"id":195323894,"date":"2026-04-24T01:19:36","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianspelling.com\/?p=61"},"modified":"2026-04-24T01:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T05:19:36","slug":"finding-this-and-that-in-the-great-white-north-on-friday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/2026\/finding-this-and-that-in-the-great-white-north-on-friday\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding This and That in the Great White North on Friday"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><em>No senior citizens were harmed in the making of this newsletter.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">First, thank you to Debbie D. my first subscriber. Thank you again for your support via ko-fi too. Take a look at\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/thedogladysden.com\/click-me\/\">The Dog Ladys Den<\/a>, her\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@debbied\">newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and consider\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/V7V7135X3\">giving her a tip<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">I\u2019m going to plan to post newsletters here every Friday, including today. Picking and sticking to a posting schedule helps a lot. Previously I wrote a daily site for web writers, WordGrrls. I kept it going with writing inspiration, exercises, and ideas every day until I burnt out. Weekly posting is enough. It gives me time to research and dig around for interesting or unknown this and that to post.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">This Friday has started with me pushing my 82 year old Mother into the pool. Not literally, just trying to get her to go to the local public pool for a swim. Neither of us are great exercisers. My Grandmother did much better. She went swimming until she really couldn\u2019t any more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">How has your Friday started out?<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Please help me, support my fondness for groceries and the occasional new print book.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/paypal.me\/laurabrownca\">PayPal Me<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Buy me a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ko-fi.com\/thatgrrl\">ko-fi<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Canadian Inspiration<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">If this were your last day in Canada, what would you want to do?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-196 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/thisiswhocanadianspelling.com_-800x1000.png\" alt=\"Thisiswhocanadianspelling.com\" width=\"650\" height=\"813\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">#ThisIsWho<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2 class=\"header-anchor-post\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Canadian People<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">If you grew up in the range of CTV in Toronto during the 1970s\u2026 You might remember \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/nEshPX5YHYE?si=i9AmIyPQ0-3WdX6W\">The Trouble with Tracy<\/a>\u2019 an afternoon TV show. The stars were Steve Weston and Diane Nyland. I liked it. It was silly and simple. People like to say it was the worst show ever. It wasn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Doug and Tracy Young were a young married couple making a life together. Doug had a job and Tracy had hobbies, ideas, and a knack for misunderstandings and misadventures. Doug was the loving and not so much suffering husband. Like a lot of Canadian TV, it was on a budget, looking to cut costs. Most of the show (if not all) was filmed in the main room of the apartment they lived in. I always thought it was in Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Both actors are deceased now. Diane Nyland (1944 &#8211; 2014) but Steve Weston (1940 &#8211; 1985) died fairly young, he fell from a roof. Did you know Diane was a choreographer and worked with the National Ballet of Canada? There was more to her than the cute blonde in a mini skirt image. Steve was a comedian and I remember him from a beer commercial too.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-195323894 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-medium'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/2026\/finding-this-and-that-in-the-great-white-north-on-friday\/stevewestontroublewtracy\/'><img width=\"300\" height=\"227\" src=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy-300x227.png\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy-300x227.png 300w, https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy-768x580.png 768w, https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy-600x453.png 600w, https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy-700x529.png 700w, https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/stevewestontroublewtracy.png 927w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\"><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Canadian Places<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><strong>Did you know Canada no longer keeps orcas for public display?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">I remember the orca and beluga whales at Marineland, in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We have photos from a family trip to the Falls. It wasn\u2019t the only place which kept captive orcas (and other animals) for human entertainment in Canada. But, it was the last. March, 2023, Kiska, died in Marineland and that was the last sad, captive orca here. I hope forever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Canada has a place to give some space and care to retired whales and dolphins in Port Hilford Bay, Nova Scotia &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/whalesanctuaryproject.org\/\">The Whale Sanctuary Project<\/a>. You can see a virtual tour of the location. The site also has a FAQ, a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/4Z5C_VH2Ckg?si=Ck-dd4rvGVeJV732\">video documentary<\/a>, and reports about the work they are doing, including outside of Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Don\u2019t think I am bashing Marineland, or the others like it. I don\u2019t see that as constructive. People (we) made a mistake, learned from it, and are working to fix or make things better. As far as I know, the Project on the coast of Nova Scotia is the first in Canada. Maybe it will lead to another sanctuary on the west coast, some day. Of course, they accept\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/whalesanctuaryproject.org\/donate\/\">donations<\/a>\u00a0if you would like to help.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">July 14th is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldorcaday.org\/\">World Orca Day<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Canadian Things<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><strong>The plastic garbage bag was invented by Canadians.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">In 1950, Harry Wasylyk (from Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Larry Hansen (from Lindsay, Ontario) invented a disposable green polyethylene garbage bag intended for commercial use. At first there were sold to the Winnipeg Hospital. Using them for residential garbage came long later.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">A Toronto man, Frank Plomp, invented a plastic garbage bag in 1950 as well but it didn\u2019t catch on. Maybe he didn\u2019t try to sell it, or just not enough.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">With so much plastic in our environment now&#8230; Still what would we do if there were no plastic bags and only paper bags for everything? A lot of liquid mess would need cleaning up. Maybe someone will come up with the next great idea in garbage bags which are strong, don\u2019t leak (usually), and don\u2019t end up floating in the ocean, or otherwise being an environmental problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/blog\/?action=view&amp;url=garbage-bags-were-invented-in-canada\">This is reposted from my website.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_88\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-88\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-88\" src=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/somewhere-in-canada-1-1000x525.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"341\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-88\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Somewhere in Canada\u2026 I shouldn\u2019t have told the TARDIS to chill out.<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<hr>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">One Last Thing&#8230; A Canadian Link or Two<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oldcanada.ca\/\">Old Canada\/ Toronto Series<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Posted from Old Canada Series on Facebook, the late night, end of service,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/v\/1HJ1PDjcb2\/\">send off from CBC in the 1980\u2019s<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.janeswalkfestivalto.com\/\">Jane\u2019s Walk Festival<\/a>\u00a0&#8211; May 1st to the 3rd &#8211;\u00a0<em>A free, community-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs, a journalist, author, theorist, activist, and proud Torontonian.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><strong>Found on Substack:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Adam Bunch &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/torontohistory.substack.com\/\">The Toronto Time Traveller<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Bob Georgiou &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/substack.com\/@bobgeorgiou\">Toronto History Curiosities<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/canadasmilitaryhistory.substack.com\/\">Canada\u2019s Military History<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\">Craig Rourke &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pineconediaries.substack.com\/\">Pinecone Diaries: Canada\u2019s Stories &amp; History<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/threeminutehistorycanada.substack.com\/\">Three Minute History Canada<\/a>\u00a0(coming soon).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: 'andale mono', monospace;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/historicacanada.substack.com\/\">Historica Canada<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<a href=\"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/2026\/finding-this-and-that-in-the-great-white-north-on-friday\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" title=\"Permalink to Finding This and That in the Great White North on Friday\"><p>No senior citizens were harmed in the making of this newsletter. First, thank you to Debbie D. my first subscriber. Thank you again for your support via ko-fi too. Take a look at\u00a0The Dog Ladys Den, her\u00a0newsletter\u00a0and consider\u00a0giving her a tip. I\u2019m going to plan to post newsletters here every Friday, including today. Picking and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":195323886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1595],"tags":[1598,255,1599,1601,1602,1603,1611],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195323894"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=195323894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/195323894\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/195323886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=195323894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=195323894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thatgrrl.com\/site\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=195323894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}